1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a latch-bolt mechanism, and more particularly to a latch-bolt mechanism operable to allow for idle rotation of an exterior handle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A movable door latch-bolt can be driven by a handle, a lockset, or a rotary knob to move a bolt head from an extended position to a retracted position. When the movable door latch-bolt is in a locked state, an exterior handle cannot be rotated. In this state, if a user actuates the exterior handle due to the fact that he or she does not realize the locked state, some components of the latch-bolt will be damaged, thereby reducing the service life of the latch-bolt.